Single-use disposable packages for liquid contents are often manufactured today from a laminate that includes a core of paper or cardboard and different layers of plastic. Some of these disposable packages start from package blanks, i.e. the packaging material piece which is required for making a package, which are sealed on one longitudinal side so that the package blank constitutes a square tube. The package blanks are supplied to the packaging (or filling) machines in a flat-laid manner and stacked in bundles. The flat-laid package blanks are thereafter loaded into a magazine connected to a packaging machine. From the magazine, the package blanks still flat-laid are fed into the packaging machine are righted to square tubes, and are sealed on one end wall. The packages are then filled and the final package is sealed at its other end wall.
The infeed of the flat-laid package blanks can constitute a problem, since the package blanks can become bent in the event of unsuitable storage. Careless loading on the part of the machine operator can also cause problems during infeed of the package blanks.
Prior art infeed devices have consisted of fingers which advance the package blanks. However, the problems associated with such devices involved that the stroke movements of the fingers is relatively short when the fact package blanks have been bent, this short stroke movement has not proved sufficient to advance a new package blank. These fingers also include a reciprocating return movement after each advancement, and thus there is the risk that the package blanks will be retracted a slight distance.